Going green in an Audi RS3
Discussion
Following on from a year in my 2018 S3 and deliberating about whether to tune it, I'm now joining the ranks of RS3 owners.
Our "anchor" vehicle since 2016 is a distinctive two-tone baby blue VW camper. Last year, I added a Skoda Fabia to the collection - it's been performing brilliantly as an urban runabout for the family. The S3 was shared with my wife originally, but later became "my" car with an annual mileage of c.5,000. This consists of weekend visits to parents, some family trips where a car is better than a van and monthly long business journeys. The S3 is a fabulous package but with that new usage profile and access to a small garage I decided that I could push the boat out a little further.
I'm a serial Audi A/S3 owner, with this RS3 now being my sixth of the series. Previous cars also include a supercharged Golf R32, two tuned Fiat Coupe 20V Turbos, all the 90s/00s hot Renaultsport Clios and various others. I do like the idea of compact, powerful cars - though I much prefer a label-in style and I'm definitely a more sedate driver than is typical.
Spec & history
Finding this car was serendipity - not judgement, just chance. I'd been looking at pre-facelift and facelift RS3s all over the country, but I also watch the stock at a local specialist dealer and saw this one appear on their list.
The factory options are:
- Audi Exclusive Camouflage Green metallic paint
- RS Super Sports seats in Fine Nappa leather with diamond-quilting and RS3 embossing, in Lunar Silver with Lunar headlining
- Electric lumbar support
- Aluminium Race design inlays
- ‘5-arm Rotor’ alloys (8.5J front, 8J rear) in anthracite black high-gloss finish, diamond cut with 255/30/19 front and 235/35/19 rear tyres
Dynamic package - including Audi Magnetic Ride with RS Sports suspension and RS Sports Exhaust System
Technology package - including HDD-based MMI Satellite Navigation Plus and MMI Touch with high-resolution 7-inch colour display
- Brake calipers painted in red with RS 3 logo
- High-gloss black styling package: radiator grille frame, side air intake funnels, front blades and window frames in high-gloss black; quattro lettering in matt titanium grey in the front air inlet
- Bang & Olufsen sound system
- Privacy glass
- Door Mirrors - Heated, Electrically Adjustable, Folding, w/auto dip on passenger side
- Exterior mirror housing in high-gloss black
I was a little surprised to find that the original owner had omitted cruise control, but otherwise it seems a pretty comprehensive spec as it should have been at around £50k list price when new. The private plate is included with the sale (though I will change it - let me know if interested) and, on top of that, it's a 1-owner car with Audi main dealer history:
Item Mileage Date £ Detail Note
Pre-delivery inspection 39 20/07/2016 - Coulsdon Audi Confirmed via Erwin
Inspection & oil service 9,998 24/07/2018 - Crawley Audi Confirmed via Erwin; inc. dust & pollen filter
Additional work, MoT 13,885 11/04/2019 - Crawley Audi Confirmed via Erwin; brake fluid, Haldex fluid, NSF tyre replaced
Oil change service, MoT 14,816 27/06/2019 - Crawley Audi Confirmed via Erwin; inc. brake fluid, NSR tyre replaced
Inspection & oil service, MoT 18,796 18/09/2020 - Crawley Audi Confirmed via Erwin; inc. dust & pollen filter, NSF & OSR tyres replaced
MoT 21,931 22/07/2021 - TBC
First impressions
At first, I was very intrigued by this RS3... I mean, come on, it's a real one-off isn't it? But I just wasn't sure about the style. It took me a good week of looking at it online over and over, before finally picking up the phone to the same person who'd sold me the S3. I must admit that I almost didn't go to my viewing the following day - but once I'd seen the car all doubts vanished. I paid what I thought was a very fair price considering the spec and mileage: around 20% more than the cheapest PFL models, but a good chunk less than the cheapest FL RS3.
The car has huge presence in flesh. It's very hard to capture the colour in photographs but clearly it's the star of the show. The bodywork has a few stone chips to the front, with tar & fine scratches all over, plus rusty brake bells and a whiff of a mature ex-owner - I guess it hasn't been pampered but seems clean, original and undamaged. The overall impression is just how it fills the space in front of your eyes and seems like a bigger car than the S3. (Apart from the front wings, it's not... I checked dimensions very carefully because my garage is very tight).
With its optional sports exhaust it barks on start-up, with both this noise and the general aural sensations seeming like a cross between my old supercharged R32 (6-cyl) and tuned Fiat Coupe 20V Turbos (5-cyl). I also can't stress enough how much more weighty the general feel of the car is to drive - it's basically a brute to the S3's sophisticate. I can see how some people find these cars wooden, but it's still an incredible experience. I will add driving notes in time.
Maybe, just maybe, I might have the brake callipers painted a less garish colour and possibly repaint the wheels in the Matt Titanium. For now, I've arranged for this RS3 to have a full back-to-basics paint correction, protection and painting of the brake disc hubs. I will miss a little of the tech compared to my FL S3 with its digital dash, wireless charging etc as part of the Tech pack - but will take it on a case-by-case basis, probably starting with a retrofit of cruise control and possibly a reversing camera.
I'll let you know how I get on.
Our "anchor" vehicle since 2016 is a distinctive two-tone baby blue VW camper. Last year, I added a Skoda Fabia to the collection - it's been performing brilliantly as an urban runabout for the family. The S3 was shared with my wife originally, but later became "my" car with an annual mileage of c.5,000. This consists of weekend visits to parents, some family trips where a car is better than a van and monthly long business journeys. The S3 is a fabulous package but with that new usage profile and access to a small garage I decided that I could push the boat out a little further.
I'm a serial Audi A/S3 owner, with this RS3 now being my sixth of the series. Previous cars also include a supercharged Golf R32, two tuned Fiat Coupe 20V Turbos, all the 90s/00s hot Renaultsport Clios and various others. I do like the idea of compact, powerful cars - though I much prefer a label-in style and I'm definitely a more sedate driver than is typical.
Spec & history
Finding this car was serendipity - not judgement, just chance. I'd been looking at pre-facelift and facelift RS3s all over the country, but I also watch the stock at a local specialist dealer and saw this one appear on their list.
The factory options are:
- Audi Exclusive Camouflage Green metallic paint
- RS Super Sports seats in Fine Nappa leather with diamond-quilting and RS3 embossing, in Lunar Silver with Lunar headlining
- Electric lumbar support
- Aluminium Race design inlays
- ‘5-arm Rotor’ alloys (8.5J front, 8J rear) in anthracite black high-gloss finish, diamond cut with 255/30/19 front and 235/35/19 rear tyres
Dynamic package - including Audi Magnetic Ride with RS Sports suspension and RS Sports Exhaust System
Technology package - including HDD-based MMI Satellite Navigation Plus and MMI Touch with high-resolution 7-inch colour display
- Brake calipers painted in red with RS 3 logo
- High-gloss black styling package: radiator grille frame, side air intake funnels, front blades and window frames in high-gloss black; quattro lettering in matt titanium grey in the front air inlet
- Bang & Olufsen sound system
- Privacy glass
- Door Mirrors - Heated, Electrically Adjustable, Folding, w/auto dip on passenger side
- Exterior mirror housing in high-gloss black
I was a little surprised to find that the original owner had omitted cruise control, but otherwise it seems a pretty comprehensive spec as it should have been at around £50k list price when new. The private plate is included with the sale (though I will change it - let me know if interested) and, on top of that, it's a 1-owner car with Audi main dealer history:
Item Mileage Date £ Detail Note
Pre-delivery inspection 39 20/07/2016 - Coulsdon Audi Confirmed via Erwin
Inspection & oil service 9,998 24/07/2018 - Crawley Audi Confirmed via Erwin; inc. dust & pollen filter
Additional work, MoT 13,885 11/04/2019 - Crawley Audi Confirmed via Erwin; brake fluid, Haldex fluid, NSF tyre replaced
Oil change service, MoT 14,816 27/06/2019 - Crawley Audi Confirmed via Erwin; inc. brake fluid, NSR tyre replaced
Inspection & oil service, MoT 18,796 18/09/2020 - Crawley Audi Confirmed via Erwin; inc. dust & pollen filter, NSF & OSR tyres replaced
MoT 21,931 22/07/2021 - TBC
First impressions
At first, I was very intrigued by this RS3... I mean, come on, it's a real one-off isn't it? But I just wasn't sure about the style. It took me a good week of looking at it online over and over, before finally picking up the phone to the same person who'd sold me the S3. I must admit that I almost didn't go to my viewing the following day - but once I'd seen the car all doubts vanished. I paid what I thought was a very fair price considering the spec and mileage: around 20% more than the cheapest PFL models, but a good chunk less than the cheapest FL RS3.
The car has huge presence in flesh. It's very hard to capture the colour in photographs but clearly it's the star of the show. The bodywork has a few stone chips to the front, with tar & fine scratches all over, plus rusty brake bells and a whiff of a mature ex-owner - I guess it hasn't been pampered but seems clean, original and undamaged. The overall impression is just how it fills the space in front of your eyes and seems like a bigger car than the S3. (Apart from the front wings, it's not... I checked dimensions very carefully because my garage is very tight).
With its optional sports exhaust it barks on start-up, with both this noise and the general aural sensations seeming like a cross between my old supercharged R32 (6-cyl) and tuned Fiat Coupe 20V Turbos (5-cyl). I also can't stress enough how much more weighty the general feel of the car is to drive - it's basically a brute to the S3's sophisticate. I can see how some people find these cars wooden, but it's still an incredible experience. I will add driving notes in time.
Maybe, just maybe, I might have the brake callipers painted a less garish colour and possibly repaint the wheels in the Matt Titanium. For now, I've arranged for this RS3 to have a full back-to-basics paint correction, protection and painting of the brake disc hubs. I will miss a little of the tech compared to my FL S3 with its digital dash, wireless charging etc as part of the Tech pack - but will take it on a case-by-case basis, probably starting with a retrofit of cruise control and possibly a reversing camera.
I'll let you know how I get on.
Thanks for all the positive comments everyone. 
The car has had an intensive paint correction, ceramic coat, wheel centres painted and de-badge at the place I bought from. Pictured here next to its predecessor:
The S3's silver accents and non-tinted windows etc are more to my usual taste (and, increasingly, a minority one at that), so this is quite a style departure for me. I'm currently thinking of dark green brake calipers and a refurb to OEM matt grey centres for the RS3's wheels. The dark glass looks uneconomic to replace and those wheels are too iconic to the RS3 to entirely swap, though.
New purchases can present mechanical or service-related needs after a few weeks of ownership, so I'll take things cautiously as these would be the priority. The car will need oil, Haldex & brake fluids, plus spark plugs later this year according to my first assessment. I've got a few months to decide whether or not to continue with the full Audi maintenance history.
In the meantime I've transferred over the boot liner, first aid kit and a few other things from the S3 and bought some wheel nut covers to replace missing ones on the new car. My own plate will be going on and this current one will be sold.
Is there a performance difference? Unequivocally - yes. My S3 was a remapped to around 350hp / 335lb.ft and so it was quite close in terms of peak power to this pre-facelift RS3 with 367hp / 343lb.ft. In real life, day-to-day driving the performance isn't as close as those numbers would suggest because of the power and torque bands (plus many dynos showing closer to 400hp standard). There's a really deceptive nature to how it builds speed and, as mentioned earlier, an overwhelming sense of heft despite near-identical weight. So, again, yes it feels more planted. Special, undoubtedly - not least because it's a much noisier engine and exhaust.
We're taking the van away on a holiday with us, meaning that it's now tucked-up in its garage for a little while. I will be doing a 500-mile business trip soon though and giving it a little more use once we're all back to school.
The car has had an intensive paint correction, ceramic coat, wheel centres painted and de-badge at the place I bought from. Pictured here next to its predecessor:
The S3's silver accents and non-tinted windows etc are more to my usual taste (and, increasingly, a minority one at that), so this is quite a style departure for me. I'm currently thinking of dark green brake calipers and a refurb to OEM matt grey centres for the RS3's wheels. The dark glass looks uneconomic to replace and those wheels are too iconic to the RS3 to entirely swap, though.
New purchases can present mechanical or service-related needs after a few weeks of ownership, so I'll take things cautiously as these would be the priority. The car will need oil, Haldex & brake fluids, plus spark plugs later this year according to my first assessment. I've got a few months to decide whether or not to continue with the full Audi maintenance history.
In the meantime I've transferred over the boot liner, first aid kit and a few other things from the S3 and bought some wheel nut covers to replace missing ones on the new car. My own plate will be going on and this current one will be sold.
Is there a performance difference? Unequivocally - yes. My S3 was a remapped to around 350hp / 335lb.ft and so it was quite close in terms of peak power to this pre-facelift RS3 with 367hp / 343lb.ft. In real life, day-to-day driving the performance isn't as close as those numbers would suggest because of the power and torque bands (plus many dynos showing closer to 400hp standard). There's a really deceptive nature to how it builds speed and, as mentioned earlier, an overwhelming sense of heft despite near-identical weight. So, again, yes it feels more planted. Special, undoubtedly - not least because it's a much noisier engine and exhaust.
We're taking the van away on a holiday with us, meaning that it's now tucked-up in its garage for a little while. I will be doing a 500-mile business trip soon though and giving it a little more use once we're all back to school.
The car's booked to have cruise control and reverse camera (OEM parts) fitted next week. The former is pretty essential to me and the latter will help when manoeuvring into my very tight garage.
I'm going to prioritise anything service-wise that it needs after that, so I will suck it and see with the wheels and brake calliper colours - both of which are options the first owner paid for after all.
The sunlight certainly helps bring out what is an very difficult colour to photograph. In real life it looks more like the rear of the first pic, while the second photo is more typical of what a camera captures:
Incidentally, my youngest loves it and has the RS3 badge in his bedroom somewhere. We took a quick trip to the supermarket earlier and just bimbling around at 20-30mph is such a pleasure on account of the noise - all full of warble and gentle turbo whooshing.
I'm going to prioritise anything service-wise that it needs after that, so I will suck it and see with the wheels and brake calliper colours - both of which are options the first owner paid for after all.
The sunlight certainly helps bring out what is an very difficult colour to photograph. In real life it looks more like the rear of the first pic, while the second photo is more typical of what a camera captures:
Incidentally, my youngest loves it and has the RS3 badge in his bedroom somewhere. We took a quick trip to the supermarket earlier and just bimbling around at 20-30mph is such a pleasure on account of the noise - all full of warble and gentle turbo whooshing.
The car now has cruise control and a reversing camera, with original parts courtesy of a local retrofitting company. Not cheap, but good value for me as it finishes the package.
I turned my attention to the interior during a little break today. Just as with the exterior colour, the interior is hard to capture on camera and tends to look beige whereas it's definitely more of a grey in the flesh. Either way, it's pretty distinctive compared to my other A3s and is full of little details.
The quilted seats are in good shape as you'd expect at still under 24k miles. I doubt they've been given any treatment before and so any dirt has improved after a quick leather clean.
Detail differences include RS3-specific door handles, alcantara inserts and matching armrests / pulls. The car is spec'd with the Bang & Olufsen sound system and deep-pile RS3 mats, together being well over £1k of the options. The mats' piping matches the interior colour as well.
There's even an RS logo on the key...
I dressed the interior plastics, vynils and cleaned the glass. Ingrained dirt around places like the seat belt holder was removed, but on the whole it's in very clean condition and remember everything shows up with this trim colour.
There remain just a few scuff marks like across the passenger thigh bolster here, which have improved but will probably show more than on a dark interior.
The engine bay was in pretty good shape, too:
Hopefully the smell of the previous owner will lift a bit, as that's still pretty evident. I'll give the interior another go-over in the next couple of weeks as I'm noticing what seems like an OAP scent a lot. I am getting carried away, perhaps unkindly, imaging this was some sort of big 75th birthday present to the original owner.
Whoever they were, they certainly didn't abuse the car. There are almost no stone chips to the front and the tyres are all on 5-8mm all round. All are Pirelli P-Zero, but one of the fronts don't match - one has a massive, and I mean massive, kerb protector like the rear... while the other front doesn't. It seems that several of the tyres had perishing, cracking and bulging issues that are common to these tyres (based on MoT advisories) and I guess they were replaced at those times. I'll need to check that the two front ones actually match size.
I have about 900 miles of driving coming up this week and though mainly motorway it should give me a good sense of what the car's like.
I turned my attention to the interior during a little break today. Just as with the exterior colour, the interior is hard to capture on camera and tends to look beige whereas it's definitely more of a grey in the flesh. Either way, it's pretty distinctive compared to my other A3s and is full of little details.
The quilted seats are in good shape as you'd expect at still under 24k miles. I doubt they've been given any treatment before and so any dirt has improved after a quick leather clean.
Detail differences include RS3-specific door handles, alcantara inserts and matching armrests / pulls. The car is spec'd with the Bang & Olufsen sound system and deep-pile RS3 mats, together being well over £1k of the options. The mats' piping matches the interior colour as well.
There's even an RS logo on the key...
I dressed the interior plastics, vynils and cleaned the glass. Ingrained dirt around places like the seat belt holder was removed, but on the whole it's in very clean condition and remember everything shows up with this trim colour.
There remain just a few scuff marks like across the passenger thigh bolster here, which have improved but will probably show more than on a dark interior.
The engine bay was in pretty good shape, too:
Hopefully the smell of the previous owner will lift a bit, as that's still pretty evident. I'll give the interior another go-over in the next couple of weeks as I'm noticing what seems like an OAP scent a lot. I am getting carried away, perhaps unkindly, imaging this was some sort of big 75th birthday present to the original owner.
Whoever they were, they certainly didn't abuse the car. There are almost no stone chips to the front and the tyres are all on 5-8mm all round. All are Pirelli P-Zero, but one of the fronts don't match - one has a massive, and I mean massive, kerb protector like the rear... while the other front doesn't. It seems that several of the tyres had perishing, cracking and bulging issues that are common to these tyres (based on MoT advisories) and I guess they were replaced at those times. I'll need to check that the two front ones actually match size.
I have about 900 miles of driving coming up this week and though mainly motorway it should give me a good sense of what the car's like.
Edited by The Cardinal on Friday 4th March 15:59
I'm just back from a mammoth few days of driving - nearly 900 miles in all for a variety of reasons. Mainly motorway and dual carriageway, but plenty for me to get to know the car.
So, what did I learn?
Not so good?
Getting straight to it... I think my old facelift S3 was slightly more suitable as a straight line cruiser. This is because it could crack 50mpg in warm weather and had the Tech pack, which included the digital dash / auto-dimming mirrors all round / wireless phone charging / bigger map display / touch pad etc. I certainly missed these when faced with about 18 hours of driving this week - I do between 3-5,000 miles a year driving this sort of journey.
I also have to find time to visit three different people to sort some things out:
- The retrofitted rear camera has gone all fuzzy - temporarily fixed by opening and closing the boot lid! I'll need to take it back to the retrofitter.
- An intermittent front end squeak / creak has appeared at low speeds at the end of my journeys. Sounds like suspension top mounts or the subframe as it's across the whole front end - and I'm a bit baffled as it seems to only happen once the car has been on a long run. I'll take it back to the seller to have it remedied.
- The offside front P Zero is thankfully the same 255/30/19 size as the nearside one, but isn't an exact matching RO2 (no tyre wall protector) and looks to be at the early stages of cracking. A new matching one is therefore justified.
- The steering pulls right, so I'll get the alignment done at the same time as the above.
I've also got some boring jobs to do like OEM wiper blades and rear door sill protectors to fit (can't believe the latter aren't standard):
Definitely, definitely good
As I walked out of the BP garage in York after filling up, the mid-afternoon light fell on the car just as the sun started to set. You know, the sort of light you get in car adverts. "Wow", I thought - "That car is lush and I really, really like it". Isn't that what ownership is about?
It certainly gets a lot of attention on the road with lots of cars slowing for a look and a drop of the window on the motorway. Thankfully it's all good... but I can see that with a different attitude to my own this car would end up duelling a lot of M2/3/4 and 140is, probably rather unsafely given how quick these cars are.
Unfortunately the 8am light afforded by the Shell garage in Bristol didn't quite recreate the York forecourt scene, but I had a go!
To be fair, the cruising MPG isn't that bad either. It basically splits the difference between a Mk5 Golf GTI / 8P A3-era 2.0T and 3.2 VR6 in the R32, both of which I've done many tens of thousands of miles on similar journeys in.
Then there's the noise - oh wow! It just makes every journey a pleasure. I don't need to drive fast to enjoy it; I just drop the windows at slow speeds, flip the paddles (manual mode holds the gear, unlike most VW Group DSG boxes) and let the melodious and very rich tones reach into the parts that other hot hatches can't. Nothing ungracious, just well-judged and sociable...ish.
The road noise is a lot better supressed than in my old S3. I think this is because it has more soundproofing in the front wings and the tyres are noise-supressing apparently (well, 3 of them anyway!). That new cruise control has been a god-send as well.
Finally, after thinking about it hard I am replacing the "RS" number plate as it isn't quite my cup of tea. Our van has a colour-themed plate so this one felt a bit more personal:
So, what did I learn?
Not so good?
Getting straight to it... I think my old facelift S3 was slightly more suitable as a straight line cruiser. This is because it could crack 50mpg in warm weather and had the Tech pack, which included the digital dash / auto-dimming mirrors all round / wireless phone charging / bigger map display / touch pad etc. I certainly missed these when faced with about 18 hours of driving this week - I do between 3-5,000 miles a year driving this sort of journey.
I also have to find time to visit three different people to sort some things out:
- The retrofitted rear camera has gone all fuzzy - temporarily fixed by opening and closing the boot lid! I'll need to take it back to the retrofitter.
- An intermittent front end squeak / creak has appeared at low speeds at the end of my journeys. Sounds like suspension top mounts or the subframe as it's across the whole front end - and I'm a bit baffled as it seems to only happen once the car has been on a long run. I'll take it back to the seller to have it remedied.
- The offside front P Zero is thankfully the same 255/30/19 size as the nearside one, but isn't an exact matching RO2 (no tyre wall protector) and looks to be at the early stages of cracking. A new matching one is therefore justified.
- The steering pulls right, so I'll get the alignment done at the same time as the above.
I've also got some boring jobs to do like OEM wiper blades and rear door sill protectors to fit (can't believe the latter aren't standard):
Definitely, definitely good
As I walked out of the BP garage in York after filling up, the mid-afternoon light fell on the car just as the sun started to set. You know, the sort of light you get in car adverts. "Wow", I thought - "That car is lush and I really, really like it". Isn't that what ownership is about?
It certainly gets a lot of attention on the road with lots of cars slowing for a look and a drop of the window on the motorway. Thankfully it's all good... but I can see that with a different attitude to my own this car would end up duelling a lot of M2/3/4 and 140is, probably rather unsafely given how quick these cars are.
Unfortunately the 8am light afforded by the Shell garage in Bristol didn't quite recreate the York forecourt scene, but I had a go!
To be fair, the cruising MPG isn't that bad either. It basically splits the difference between a Mk5 Golf GTI / 8P A3-era 2.0T and 3.2 VR6 in the R32, both of which I've done many tens of thousands of miles on similar journeys in.
Then there's the noise - oh wow! It just makes every journey a pleasure. I don't need to drive fast to enjoy it; I just drop the windows at slow speeds, flip the paddles (manual mode holds the gear, unlike most VW Group DSG boxes) and let the melodious and very rich tones reach into the parts that other hot hatches can't.
Nothing ungracious, just well-judged and sociable...ish. The road noise is a lot better supressed than in my old S3. I think this is because it has more soundproofing in the front wings and the tyres are noise-supressing apparently (well, 3 of them anyway!). That new cruise control has been a god-send as well.
Finally, after thinking about it hard I am replacing the "RS" number plate as it isn't quite my cup of tea. Our van has a colour-themed plate so this one felt a bit more personal:
I think the "old man" smell is potentially lack of use; smells a bit urine-ish, fusty and with a hint of brut (the perfume my grandad wore). It's improved a lot in the last week of use. I'll change the cabin filter anyway, though it was supposedly done 5k miles ago.
This car did 5k miles in its first two years, before averaging less than 3k in each of the subsequent four years. From the lack of stone chips, smell and general condition I'd guess at this being consistent with use as an occasional car.
Si, it definitely shares spirit with that old 'charged R32.
This car did 5k miles in its first two years, before averaging less than 3k in each of the subsequent four years. From the lack of stone chips, smell and general condition I'd guess at this being consistent with use as an occasional car.
Si, it definitely shares spirit with that old 'charged R32.
I changed the cabin filter today for a Mann item:
Didn't look bad to be honest, but worth doing for the sake of £14.90 and hopefully it'll help lift the cabin scent further. I also replaced the wiper blades all round and fitted those rear door sill protectors - all OEM parts.
An OBD scan isn't throwing up a code for the camera itself, though there is one related to infotainment. I'm booked-in to have it investigated and hopefully resolved next week - the retrofitter said he'd never had an issue on A3 cameras and wondered whether it was a loose earth.
The OBD check also shows a launch control count of 0, supporting my suspicion of mature previous ownership.
Thar minor front end squeak has disappeared again... which is annoying as I am also booked-in to have that investigated. Front brake pad movement / creaking has been mentioned on forums (separate to the usual brake squeaking). It only happens after a long drive, which is not what I'd expect with bushes or suspension.
Didn't look bad to be honest, but worth doing for the sake of £14.90 and hopefully it'll help lift the cabin scent further. I also replaced the wiper blades all round and fitted those rear door sill protectors - all OEM parts.
Sticks. said:
...How's the reversing camera?
The rear camera went fuzzy shortly after fitting - but was nice when it worked (!) and a fair bit cheaper than your £1k quote. An OBD scan isn't throwing up a code for the camera itself, though there is one related to infotainment. I'm booked-in to have it investigated and hopefully resolved next week - the retrofitter said he'd never had an issue on A3 cameras and wondered whether it was a loose earth.
The OBD check also shows a launch control count of 0, supporting my suspicion of mature previous ownership.
Thar minor front end squeak has disappeared again... which is annoying as I am also booked-in to have that investigated. Front brake pad movement / creaking has been mentioned on forums (separate to the usual brake squeaking). It only happens after a long drive, which is not what I'd expect with bushes or suspension.
I did a run over to my parents' place today, in between a drop-off & pick-up for my daughter's netball - about 110 miles all told. My weekends have rapidly become about obligations like this, which does have the side benefit of giving me some time alone in a car.
I might as well make my responsibilities as pleasant as possible, hence this car.
We started the morning by popping-open the garage door. This is the first time my 12-year-old daughter has seen the car and her first reaction was that the interior is weird - she promptly sent pictures of the quilted seats to her mates on WhatsApp.
Once dropped-off, and being a lovely sunny day, I thought I'd take the RS3 along the back roads to where I grew up and stop for some pics where I used to snap my old cars. I have had many performance cars over the years but here's a random sample from 2003, 2005 and 2022...
The comparison between the Rs3 and my second (tuned) Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo isn't as much as a stretch as the pics might suggest... both cars have a cultured 5-cylinder turbo exhaust note, similarly high performance (for their time) and a likeness to their hefty steering and brakes.
I'm not sure on the rear number plate's short length, so have ordered a standard length one. I will also replace the offside front tyre, which you can see from the pics doesn't match.
Today's morning light also shows the colour of the RS3 a little better, though it loses some pop when using the free image hosting:
Sadly this morning's visit confirmed just how limited my dad's life has become since a big stroke in 2017, subsequent seizures and very little getting out since Lockdown. I walked him to and from a haircut in their village and he's very unstable, can't do his laces up, trousers falling down etc.
Jeez, if ever there's a prompt to get the car I want then this is it.
An RS3 in green won't be everyone's cup of tea. But, please, if you are reading this and have a car in mind that you want - just do it now. Life is full of surprises and my parents expected to have another decade before they stopped being able to live life as they wanted.
Anyway, sermon over! As I returned to pick up my daughter from her school, a workman called over to me "now that's a proper car".
I might as well make my responsibilities as pleasant as possible, hence this car.
We started the morning by popping-open the garage door. This is the first time my 12-year-old daughter has seen the car and her first reaction was that the interior is weird - she promptly sent pictures of the quilted seats to her mates on WhatsApp.
Once dropped-off, and being a lovely sunny day, I thought I'd take the RS3 along the back roads to where I grew up and stop for some pics where I used to snap my old cars. I have had many performance cars over the years but here's a random sample from 2003, 2005 and 2022...
The comparison between the Rs3 and my second (tuned) Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo isn't as much as a stretch as the pics might suggest... both cars have a cultured 5-cylinder turbo exhaust note, similarly high performance (for their time) and a likeness to their hefty steering and brakes.
I'm not sure on the rear number plate's short length, so have ordered a standard length one. I will also replace the offside front tyre, which you can see from the pics doesn't match.
Today's morning light also shows the colour of the RS3 a little better, though it loses some pop when using the free image hosting:
Sadly this morning's visit confirmed just how limited my dad's life has become since a big stroke in 2017, subsequent seizures and very little getting out since Lockdown. I walked him to and from a haircut in their village and he's very unstable, can't do his laces up, trousers falling down etc.
Jeez, if ever there's a prompt to get the car I want then this is it.
An RS3 in green won't be everyone's cup of tea. But, please, if you are reading this and have a car in mind that you want - just do it now. Life is full of surprises and my parents expected to have another decade before they stopped being able to live life as they wanted.
Anyway, sermon over! As I returned to pick up my daughter from her school, a workman called over to me "now that's a proper car".
Month 3
After adding another 400 miles on a family trip at the start of the month, the RS3 then spent most of April in its lockup garage due to a trip abroad and me travelling by rail for work.
Before this, I replaced the offside front P Zero with a matching “R02” to complement the other 3 PZ4 tyres. This new one is also a “PNCS” noise cancelling model with a big foam insert, like the others. Cost was £260 on the nose including 4-wheel alignment and a long chat with a fellow enthusiast tyre shop manager. They measured the front discs as being 50% worn with the rears noted as pitted. Brake pads have plenty of life, but I assume I should budget for discs & pads all round in the next year or two - not cheap at over £1,500 on the RS3.
As pointed out earlier in the thread, this car wears wider front wheels and tyres as an £895 option new (incidentally only grey and black wheels are wider, with the grey ones being £100 cheaper). The new tyre and tracking have made the car even quieter and sharper than before. It was certainly a delight to fire it up again after 3 weeks in the garage this morning and it was supremely unstressed but rapid family transport to the in-laws’ country pad today.
Here it is next to our Bus, which has been pressed into service for airport and beach runs while the RS3 rested:
With all this in mind, I am now pretty settled on keeping the car exactly as it is rather than change wheel and brake calliper colours. The dark styling and windows have grown on me, too.
I’m also thinking of keeping up the full Audi franchise history, which might prove expensive in the short term (as inspection, sparks, Haldex and other fluids will be due). The benefit from this might be marginal to me, but I also foresee a specialist trade or private sale in this car’s distant future and assume FASH and the spec will complement each other in a buyer’s eyes.
Other small things to note include how much I enjoy mundane driving in this car, mainly on account of the noise and switch of the exhaust tones in Sport mode at creeping speeds. This probably hasn’t helped with barely breaking 25mpg in mixed driving, a lot lower than motorway cruising. Nonetheless I’ve continued getting very good reactions to the car out on the road, with other drivers giving me lots of space and none trying to race recently (which is not what the stereotypes had me expect, especially since I put the RS3 badge back on).
I have 750 miles of driving coming up this week, so I’ll update the thread afterwards.
After adding another 400 miles on a family trip at the start of the month, the RS3 then spent most of April in its lockup garage due to a trip abroad and me travelling by rail for work.
Before this, I replaced the offside front P Zero with a matching “R02” to complement the other 3 PZ4 tyres. This new one is also a “PNCS” noise cancelling model with a big foam insert, like the others. Cost was £260 on the nose including 4-wheel alignment and a long chat with a fellow enthusiast tyre shop manager. They measured the front discs as being 50% worn with the rears noted as pitted. Brake pads have plenty of life, but I assume I should budget for discs & pads all round in the next year or two - not cheap at over £1,500 on the RS3.
As pointed out earlier in the thread, this car wears wider front wheels and tyres as an £895 option new (incidentally only grey and black wheels are wider, with the grey ones being £100 cheaper). The new tyre and tracking have made the car even quieter and sharper than before. It was certainly a delight to fire it up again after 3 weeks in the garage this morning and it was supremely unstressed but rapid family transport to the in-laws’ country pad today.
Here it is next to our Bus, which has been pressed into service for airport and beach runs while the RS3 rested:
With all this in mind, I am now pretty settled on keeping the car exactly as it is rather than change wheel and brake calliper colours. The dark styling and windows have grown on me, too.
I’m also thinking of keeping up the full Audi franchise history, which might prove expensive in the short term (as inspection, sparks, Haldex and other fluids will be due). The benefit from this might be marginal to me, but I also foresee a specialist trade or private sale in this car’s distant future and assume FASH and the spec will complement each other in a buyer’s eyes.
Other small things to note include how much I enjoy mundane driving in this car, mainly on account of the noise and switch of the exhaust tones in Sport mode at creeping speeds. This probably hasn’t helped with barely breaking 25mpg in mixed driving, a lot lower than motorway cruising. Nonetheless I’ve continued getting very good reactions to the car out on the road, with other drivers giving me lots of space and none trying to race recently (which is not what the stereotypes had me expect, especially since I put the RS3 badge back on).
I have 750 miles of driving coming up this week, so I’ll update the thread afterwards.
An OEM air filter (£16 delivered) arrived the other day. The interval is something like 60k miles and the old one looks ok, but at 6 years old it certainly won't harm to replace it. I've decided that there are definitely some simple jobs like this - maybe spark plus, too - that I can do. Surely there's no better assurance that something has been done than to do it yourself!
Note the "quattro" badge on our toaster... The story is that I had an A3 2.0T quattro about 13 years ago, whose badges were looking a bit worse for wear. I didn't realise that it only needed one on the back (the grille one being "S-Line" on this particular model), so I had one going spare after I ordered two. I hope the mis-badging people will forgive me after all this time, especially as it only does two slices of toast rather than four.
Note the "quattro" badge on our toaster... The story is that I had an A3 2.0T quattro about 13 years ago, whose badges were looking a bit worse for wear. I didn't realise that it only needed one on the back (the grille one being "S-Line" on this particular model), so I had one going spare after I ordered two. I hope the mis-badging people will forgive me after all this time, especially as it only does two slices of toast rather than four.
I popped in that air filter last weekend. The old one was dated 2018, so it’d been done before but still worth it going by its condition and the opportunity to hoover out some dust / debris. I can’t believe it would otherwise be left until 60k miles according to the service schedule!
Today was another early school & parents run. I should probably have given our van a drive, but a few hours in this car is far more enjoyable when I’m on my own. I am not into speeding, so just love the chance to make ordinary driving special with this car’s superb noise and sensations. I hope the road maintenance chapie who was encouraging me to give it beans out of some roadworks was satisfied. I never got that in cars like my old S3…
I discovered that the car has the rare £300 Mono.pur interior option - surely rarer still in this colour. This seems to consist of matching Lunar leather door pulls…
…and contrasting black central tunnel trim:
Options also include the £100 knurled aluminium inserts:
New tyre from last month:
Discs seem to be reasonably below the dimple threshold that Dr G pointed out…
…but I wonder whether these scored rear discs will be flagged at service time?
Today was another early school & parents run. I should probably have given our van a drive, but a few hours in this car is far more enjoyable when I’m on my own. I am not into speeding, so just love the chance to make ordinary driving special with this car’s superb noise and sensations. I hope the road maintenance chapie who was encouraging me to give it beans out of some roadworks was satisfied. I never got that in cars like my old S3…
I discovered that the car has the rare £300 Mono.pur interior option - surely rarer still in this colour. This seems to consist of matching Lunar leather door pulls…
…and contrasting black central tunnel trim:
Options also include the £100 knurled aluminium inserts:
New tyre from last month:
Discs seem to be reasonably below the dimple threshold that Dr G pointed out…
…but I wonder whether these scored rear discs will be flagged at service time?
Edited by The Cardinal on Saturday 21st May 14:55
Months 4-5
VW's recent launch of the ID Buzz made me pause for thought about replacing the current combination of our van and RS3 (plus a Fabia for local duties). I still think it makes a lot more sense for us, not to mention costing a bit less, to maintain the existing fleet. This is because having a diesel van with an 80-litre tank means we can do long distance trips for 4-5 people without refuelling, plus of course keep a rorty RS3 in reserve.
The van, ironically, is pictured here at the site of a soon-to-be motorway service rapid charger suite. Despite the inevitable advances in technology and a local low emissions zone we'll probably keep this for years to come as it's another vehicle with personality.
Alas, I haven't spent a lot of time in the RS3 recently - but every single drive is a window-dropping, exhaust gurgling experience of the finest variety. Plus, of course, keeping the family away from it means I can keep it looking like this:
With 25,838 miles now on the clock, I had the car serviced today at Bristol's only dedicated Audi specialist. I had contemplated maintaining the full franchise history or taking it to my usual VAG specialist, but I was reassured by the new specialist owner's 20+ year presence on the Audi RS & R8 scene - and a quote at nearly half the price of the local Audi cocktail lounge. The other car in the workshop today was a pampered 2018 RS3 saloon having its fourth service with just 8k on the clock, so I was in good company.
Work done, all with genuine parts:
- Inspection & oil service
- Spark plugs
- Haldex fluid, including a clean-out of the pump gauze
- Brake fluid change
- MoT
The MoT came back as advisory-free, though the service included a VAGCOM-type scan that threw up a bunch of codes. These mainly related to the rear camera in March, which was to be expected given my retrofitting experience, plus one unusual one for a cam position sensor in April (which hasn't recurred nor triggered a warning light). I've agreed to go back in a month's time to check for any new stored codes.
I've also ordered a new rear washer nozzle to replace a blocked one identified today. I only drive this car in good weather if I can help it, so I'd not noticed. So, that takes recent spend to £549.56 on servicing and £10.20 on a new wiper nozzle.
With 2,000 miles in my ownership, I've also added a Stage 1 remap to the car recently. This takes it to around 420hp & 450lb/ft and cost an extra £5.91 declared to the insurance company. I don't want to add driving impressions just yet as I've not had a chance to properly test things, but it's safe to say that the car is has an even more Jekyll & Hyde personality now.
More mundanely, I replaced the interior bulbs with LEDs. These address the previously inexplicable mix of old-style incandescent and LED bulbs throughout the car. I replaced the rear number plate with a standard-sized one recently, too.
VW's recent launch of the ID Buzz made me pause for thought about replacing the current combination of our van and RS3 (plus a Fabia for local duties). I still think it makes a lot more sense for us, not to mention costing a bit less, to maintain the existing fleet. This is because having a diesel van with an 80-litre tank means we can do long distance trips for 4-5 people without refuelling, plus of course keep a rorty RS3 in reserve.
The van, ironically, is pictured here at the site of a soon-to-be motorway service rapid charger suite. Despite the inevitable advances in technology and a local low emissions zone we'll probably keep this for years to come as it's another vehicle with personality.
Alas, I haven't spent a lot of time in the RS3 recently - but every single drive is a window-dropping, exhaust gurgling experience of the finest variety. Plus, of course, keeping the family away from it means I can keep it looking like this:
With 25,838 miles now on the clock, I had the car serviced today at Bristol's only dedicated Audi specialist. I had contemplated maintaining the full franchise history or taking it to my usual VAG specialist, but I was reassured by the new specialist owner's 20+ year presence on the Audi RS & R8 scene - and a quote at nearly half the price of the local Audi cocktail lounge. The other car in the workshop today was a pampered 2018 RS3 saloon having its fourth service with just 8k on the clock, so I was in good company.
Work done, all with genuine parts:
- Inspection & oil service
- Spark plugs
- Haldex fluid, including a clean-out of the pump gauze
- Brake fluid change
- MoT
The MoT came back as advisory-free, though the service included a VAGCOM-type scan that threw up a bunch of codes. These mainly related to the rear camera in March, which was to be expected given my retrofitting experience, plus one unusual one for a cam position sensor in April (which hasn't recurred nor triggered a warning light). I've agreed to go back in a month's time to check for any new stored codes.
I've also ordered a new rear washer nozzle to replace a blocked one identified today. I only drive this car in good weather if I can help it, so I'd not noticed. So, that takes recent spend to £549.56 on servicing and £10.20 on a new wiper nozzle.
With 2,000 miles in my ownership, I've also added a Stage 1 remap to the car recently. This takes it to around 420hp & 450lb/ft and cost an extra £5.91 declared to the insurance company. I don't want to add driving impressions just yet as I've not had a chance to properly test things, but it's safe to say that the car is has an even more Jekyll & Hyde personality now.
More mundanely, I replaced the interior bulbs with LEDs. These address the previously inexplicable mix of old-style incandescent and LED bulbs throughout the car. I replaced the rear number plate with a standard-sized one recently, too.
Washer pipes and codes...
The recent service identified a non-working rear washer jet and, being the kind of person who's bothered by these sorts of things, I decided to attempt the most likely cause - a blocked washer tube. The issue is common to A3s and is usually a blocked nozzle.
Alas, my first two attempts with a new nozzle and a needle / thread via the end of the hose were unsuccessful. I was beginning to think it was likely a defective rear washer pump assembly or, worse still, a blockage somewhere inaccessible. A3s have one pump inside the reservoir at the front of the car (located differently on the RS3 due to the engine's size) and another inside the rear wiper assembly.
This morning, I took the tailgate trim off for another look at the rear assembly:
After a few false starts I managed to get spray into the boot from the disconnected wiper fluid tube, which was good news as it meant the problem was either the rear pump motor or a blockage inside the assembly:
I reconnected the pipe and ran the pump again. But it still didn’t work - nothing came out. I was thinking at this point that I might need a new motor assembly, because repeated cleaning with the pin & thread method still wasn’t working.
The last thing I tried was to prise off the black pipe elbow connector from the motor body. Blocked washer pipes are on the A3, but the blockage being resolved by taking off the connector isn’t something I’d seen mentioned online before. Having done this, I poked the thread through the motor body and connector separately… and it worked!
I then put everything back together and felt smug about being able to use the rear washer about twice a year again.
I also checked the car for any more stored codes, which had been cleared at the service. Happily there were none. I also took the chance to double-check the launch control count. I know the zero score isn't a guarantee that the car had an easy life in the hands of its previous owner, but between the spec choices, condition, history and this I'm hoping it's at least indicative.
I used an air con bomb on our Skoda Fabia last week after my son was sick in it (!), so I will probably do another in this car soon. It smells much better after me driving it 2,200 miles and changing the cabin filter - but it'll only help.
The outlook for the next few months is quite low miles. Our van will be doing our upcoming runs to France and Cornwall, plus I have no work roadtrips planned until at least September - but I'll stretch its legs where I can.
The recent service identified a non-working rear washer jet and, being the kind of person who's bothered by these sorts of things, I decided to attempt the most likely cause - a blocked washer tube. The issue is common to A3s and is usually a blocked nozzle.
Alas, my first two attempts with a new nozzle and a needle / thread via the end of the hose were unsuccessful. I was beginning to think it was likely a defective rear washer pump assembly or, worse still, a blockage somewhere inaccessible. A3s have one pump inside the reservoir at the front of the car (located differently on the RS3 due to the engine's size) and another inside the rear wiper assembly.
This morning, I took the tailgate trim off for another look at the rear assembly:
After a few false starts I managed to get spray into the boot from the disconnected wiper fluid tube, which was good news as it meant the problem was either the rear pump motor or a blockage inside the assembly:
I reconnected the pipe and ran the pump again. But it still didn’t work - nothing came out. I was thinking at this point that I might need a new motor assembly, because repeated cleaning with the pin & thread method still wasn’t working.
The last thing I tried was to prise off the black pipe elbow connector from the motor body. Blocked washer pipes are on the A3, but the blockage being resolved by taking off the connector isn’t something I’d seen mentioned online before. Having done this, I poked the thread through the motor body and connector separately… and it worked!
I then put everything back together and felt smug about being able to use the rear washer about twice a year again.
I also checked the car for any more stored codes, which had been cleared at the service. Happily there were none. I also took the chance to double-check the launch control count. I know the zero score isn't a guarantee that the car had an easy life in the hands of its previous owner, but between the spec choices, condition, history and this I'm hoping it's at least indicative.
I used an air con bomb on our Skoda Fabia last week after my son was sick in it (!), so I will probably do another in this car soon. It smells much better after me driving it 2,200 miles and changing the cabin filter - but it'll only help.
The outlook for the next few months is quite low miles. Our van will be doing our upcoming runs to France and Cornwall, plus I have no work roadtrips planned until at least September - but I'll stretch its legs where I can.
Carlton Banks said:
Lovely cars, yours in particular !
I owned an FL mythos black a couple of years ago.
One recommendation is to ditch the Pirelli’s and go for Mich PS4S as there is an issue with inner tyre - many threads about it on owners groups.
Yes... indeed the only MoT advisories the car has had so far (in the previous owner's hands) were for perishing and / or side wear of various Pirellis. I think the OSF tyre on there now has the beginnings of the same. It's a shame because the PZ4s are developed especially for the RS3 and I love the massive rim protection. I owned an FL mythos black a couple of years ago.
One recommendation is to ditch the Pirelli’s and go for Mich PS4S as there is an issue with inner tyre - many threads about it on owners groups.
I'm not sure the Michelins are a panacea either, at least for the staggered setup like mine. They're reportedly too big in matching 255/30 size and fitting 235/35s all round also presents issues with those wider front wheels.
Danm1les said:
The exterior/interior spec is so good on this car, its lovely.
What do you use to scan the car for codes and the launch counter?
Thank you. What do you use to scan the car for codes and the launch counter?
Carista is one of the various OBD2 scanner tools and apps on the market; it's the one I use. I managed to sneak a lunchtime drive yesterday out to the local lanes of north Somerset - such a lovely day for it. Clearly other people had the same idea as I came across a McLaren, Lotus Exige and AMG C63 taking a similar route. This RS3 definitely doesn't feel out of place in the company of cars like these.
More than that, the noise is just sensational - you feel a million dollars just letting the cultured exhaust tones bounce off walls in low gears, held manually at just the right revs via the DSG 'box.
I think the ECU has adapted to the recent remap now and my bum dyno says this is the quickest car I've had. All within speed limits and responsible driving, it's absolutely astonishing how rapidly it covers ground from corner to corner across country.
The next day after writing the above post, I had a big off on my bike - resulting in a category 1 ambulance (and helicopter!) response with a trip to ED and some broken vertebrae and ribs. Thankfully things were less serious than first feared, though I am unlikely to be cycling and indeed sitting comfortably for some time.
A trip yesterday with my kids in the RS3 to visit my parents was its first since then, taking the miles for July to 160.
I think I've now perfected the car's settings for this sort of journey, which is to set the "individual" mode to its most sporting for the transmission and exhaust and comfiest for the suspension and steering - using manual to change gear at the point just after the exhaust flaps open widest at around 3,500rpm. Sounds like a supercar, but you can take the kids in comfort.
It still gets a lot of attention, the latest being a tuned Golf R and what looked like a modified 335i convertible slowing down alongside on the motorway and looking for a bit of something. I do wonder how the reaction might be to a more visibly "RS3-ish" Nardo grey one, as opposed to this colour. I always disappoint and still think there's no need to speed either, with so much aural entertainment to be had at low speeds and on my own terms.
I removed and had the Stage 1 remap refunded recently as I wasn't happy with it. It was a generic one and I won't say whose out of courtesy (it wasn't bad and certainly noticeable at full throttle, but it dampened the noise and didn't feel as resolved as the OE map). I have learned my lesson about the value of either remaining standard or going for a custom map on this particular car.
A trip yesterday with my kids in the RS3 to visit my parents was its first since then, taking the miles for July to 160.
I think I've now perfected the car's settings for this sort of journey, which is to set the "individual" mode to its most sporting for the transmission and exhaust and comfiest for the suspension and steering - using manual to change gear at the point just after the exhaust flaps open widest at around 3,500rpm. Sounds like a supercar, but you can take the kids in comfort.
It still gets a lot of attention, the latest being a tuned Golf R and what looked like a modified 335i convertible slowing down alongside on the motorway and looking for a bit of something. I do wonder how the reaction might be to a more visibly "RS3-ish" Nardo grey one, as opposed to this colour. I always disappoint and still think there's no need to speed either, with so much aural entertainment to be had at low speeds and on my own terms.
I removed and had the Stage 1 remap refunded recently as I wasn't happy with it. It was a generic one and I won't say whose out of courtesy (it wasn't bad and certainly noticeable at full throttle, but it dampened the noise and didn't feel as resolved as the OE map). I have learned my lesson about the value of either remaining standard or going for a custom map on this particular car.
We've driven over 2,000 miles for holidays in the last month, with the bulk done by our van - pictured here in Cornwall.
I'd planned to take the Bus on a long weekend break to visit my brother in Brighton, too - not least because we would also be carrying a 5th person in the form of a cousin, whom we dropped-off en route. Unfortunately the Airbnb host got in touch just beforehand to say that the parking situation was very tight and advised against bringing vans - so that put paid to that idea.
Thankfully the RS3 was on-hand and coped well. I don't think my 10-year-old fancies regular trips in the middle rear seat, but the small boot was fine for a family weekend away and the comfort pretty good thanks to the adaptive dampers. I cracked just a smidge under 40mpg, too. This is the sort of thing that Audi RS cars do well, and I think that once you get your head around the concept of the RS3 being more of a baby RS6 than a hyped-up Golf R then I think you come to understand its capabilities better.
This is mainly lost of my wife, though. She chortled to herself at the tastelessness of the quilted cream seats - and didn't appreciate the sounds of the sports exhaust when I blip down into 2nd and 1st in slowing traffic, so I reluctantly switched to "comfort" mode. The forum chatter is that Audi "got away with it" somehow in getting type approval for the pre-facelift 2015-16 RS3 and it's widely thought to be one of the loudest production cars this side of an early Noughties TVR, when spec'd with the optional exhaust in Sport mode at least. So, to be fair, she has a point. Some markets even had the cars supplied without secondary catalysts, which takes the noise on throttle even further...
In my defence, we do mainly trundle around in an ice cream van and have a little Skoda for urban runs - at her behest (and my cost!).
I don't think pictures do justice to the colour nor its variation according to light, though the difference is apparent below from the pic above. I'm still getting a lot of comments and reactions when out and about.
I've got some long business trips coming up in September and October, after which I will probably use it less and keep it out of the winter weather in its garage. The other thing on my mind is to book myself in for a better quality remap than the one I tried (and removed) recently.
I'd planned to take the Bus on a long weekend break to visit my brother in Brighton, too - not least because we would also be carrying a 5th person in the form of a cousin, whom we dropped-off en route. Unfortunately the Airbnb host got in touch just beforehand to say that the parking situation was very tight and advised against bringing vans - so that put paid to that idea.
Thankfully the RS3 was on-hand and coped well. I don't think my 10-year-old fancies regular trips in the middle rear seat, but the small boot was fine for a family weekend away and the comfort pretty good thanks to the adaptive dampers. I cracked just a smidge under 40mpg, too. This is the sort of thing that Audi RS cars do well, and I think that once you get your head around the concept of the RS3 being more of a baby RS6 than a hyped-up Golf R then I think you come to understand its capabilities better.
This is mainly lost of my wife, though. She chortled to herself at the tastelessness of the quilted cream seats - and didn't appreciate the sounds of the sports exhaust when I blip down into 2nd and 1st in slowing traffic, so I reluctantly switched to "comfort" mode. The forum chatter is that Audi "got away with it" somehow in getting type approval for the pre-facelift 2015-16 RS3 and it's widely thought to be one of the loudest production cars this side of an early Noughties TVR, when spec'd with the optional exhaust in Sport mode at least. So, to be fair, she has a point. Some markets even had the cars supplied without secondary catalysts, which takes the noise on throttle even further...
In my defence, we do mainly trundle around in an ice cream van and have a little Skoda for urban runs - at her behest (and my cost!).
I don't think pictures do justice to the colour nor its variation according to light, though the difference is apparent below from the pic above. I'm still getting a lot of comments and reactions when out and about.
I've got some long business trips coming up in September and October, after which I will probably use it less and keep it out of the winter weather in its garage. The other thing on my mind is to book myself in for a better quality remap than the one I tried (and removed) recently.
The previous owner was the car’s first and only, and they had it for nearly 6 years before me. It’s also one of the last pre-facelift models, which only had a 2015-16 production run anyway.
From what I can gather, it wasn’t a dealer specified car. The selling dealer told me that it was one of a collection of RS and M cars, which were all uniquely spec’d. The address on the V5 was an upmarket Surrey property.
The smell has gone without me having to resort to anything other than a filter change.
From what I can gather, it wasn’t a dealer specified car. The selling dealer told me that it was one of a collection of RS and M cars, which were all uniquely spec’d. The address on the V5 was an upmarket Surrey property.
The smell has gone without me having to resort to anything other than a filter change.
^
Sadly I don't think I can justify becoming a new customer, not for an equivalent spec'd RS3 at ~£60-65k at today's prices anyway. It seems you'll never get to find out how special I am...
In the meantime, I haven't been using the car much and its mainstay is 100-mile round trips to see my parents. I did sneak it out of the garage today to give it a clean and then to pop it back in, before heading out tomorrow on another visit.
Another day, another shade of the same green...
As I locked-up the garage, a man called over asking for some jump cables. Unfortunately I didn't have any, but helped him try to bump start it before parking up when it didn't work. It was an old Saab 9-3 and he was probably in his mid-50s, on his way to work, and quite distressed - he didn't have enough money to afford a replacement gear knob for his car, let alone breakdown cover. My garage is in the grounds of a local authority tower block and I guess he lives there - I offered him a lift, but he wouldn't take it. What a day he was having.
I left with really mixed feelings. How did it end up that I am tucking-up a pampered RS3 into a garage during a break in my Teams-based working day; my third vehicle, a total luxury - and yet he is there bump-starting his shed, in distress? It can't be down to life choices alone. Such is the world we live in.
Sadly I don't think I can justify becoming a new customer, not for an equivalent spec'd RS3 at ~£60-65k at today's prices anyway. It seems you'll never get to find out how special I am...
In the meantime, I haven't been using the car much and its mainstay is 100-mile round trips to see my parents. I did sneak it out of the garage today to give it a clean and then to pop it back in, before heading out tomorrow on another visit.
Another day, another shade of the same green...
As I locked-up the garage, a man called over asking for some jump cables. Unfortunately I didn't have any, but helped him try to bump start it before parking up when it didn't work. It was an old Saab 9-3 and he was probably in his mid-50s, on his way to work, and quite distressed - he didn't have enough money to afford a replacement gear knob for his car, let alone breakdown cover. My garage is in the grounds of a local authority tower block and I guess he lives there - I offered him a lift, but he wouldn't take it. What a day he was having.
I left with really mixed feelings. How did it end up that I am tucking-up a pampered RS3 into a garage during a break in my Teams-based working day; my third vehicle, a total luxury - and yet he is there bump-starting his shed, in distress? It can't be down to life choices alone. Such is the world we live in.
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